"No... This is nothing!" Barbara quickly shook her head, saying, "Don't underestimate me. I can handle... this level of intimacy."
"Intimacy?" Lucas looked puzzled. "I was talking about your drink."
Barbara froze, her face turning red with embarrassment. Unbeknownst to them, their drinks had already been quietly placed on the table. The VIP section's service was indeed top-notch.
Barbara's "extra-spicy lemon water" was a bright, fiery red. It looked less like a drink and more like some bizarre, spicy soup. Even from a distance, Lucas could feel the heat stinging his eyes, as if they were starting to tear up.
Drinking this definitely seemed like an intense challenge.
"So... this is what you meant?" Barbara, flustered, wished she could dig a hole and disappear into it. She quickly added, "Watch me down it in one go!"
When it came to handling spice, Barbara could undoubtedly rank among the top three in Mondstadt.
Who would have guessed that such a delicate-looking girl had such a fiery palate?
After all, spiciness isn't just a taste sensation—it's a form of pain. To handle something this spicy, one not only needs a strong mouth but also a sturdy stomach.
Admittedly, Barbara's resilience in that area was quite impressive—something Lucas knew well from his time in the simulator.
Just as Barbara was about to take a sip, the server interjected, "One moment, I should warn you—this drink..."
But before he could finish, Barbara had already downed the entire glass of bright red liquid, her face contorting with a mix of pain and determination.
Moments later, a blush spread across her pale cheeks.
"Something's... off about this drink," Barbara mumbled, feeling the room begin to spin.
The server, seeing she had chugged it all in one go, sighed helplessly. "That 'extra-spicy lemon water' was infused with a strong firewater from Snezhnaya to enhance the flavor."
With a soft "thud," Barbara slumped over the table, passed out from the alcohol.
"Well, well, Barbara really can't handle her drink," came a cheerful voice from behind them. "One glass and she's already out cold."
A youthful bard in green attire had somehow appeared next to them, smiling as he addressed Lucas. "Hey there, you must be from Liyue, right?"
"Hey, Venti, this is the VIP section!" The server from earlier frowned. "You promised you'd play for free all night in exchange for a seat here!"
It was Venti!
Lucas, of course, knew the bard's true identity. Not only that, but they had crossed paths multiple times in the simulator.
He hadn't expected to run into him again in real life.
"Look around," Venti replied nonchalantly. "Who's actually paying attention to the music right now? Besides, there's an empty seat here. If this gentleman invites me to sit, doesn't that make me a guest too?"
"Why would he invite you?" The server rolled his eyes. "If you wore a dress, maybe someone would let you crash the table."
It was true that, despite being a boy, Venti's delicate and pretty features could easily fool someone if he dressed as a girl.
In fact, some people might not even care that he's a boy—after all, this was Mondstadt, the city of freedom.
Of course, Lucas wasn't interested in that.
But an idea suddenly popped into his mind—a way to tease Venti a little.
"No problem," Lucas smiled and said, "He's a friend of mine. Let him join us."
Venti raised his head proudly. "See? Now, how about you bring us your finest wine?"
The server, still looking a bit surprised, sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, fine. I'll get it."
Lucas carefully laid Barbara down on the sofa beside the table, then picked up his own drink and smiled. "Since we've run into each other, I'm Lucas. Let's drink to our meeting."
With that, he downed the entire glass of "Afternoon Death."
Though the drink wasn't harsh going down, its aftereffect was intense. Even a seasoned drinker like Kaeya wouldn't dare to drink it all at once.
But Lucas seemed unfazed.
Thanks to his recently acquired [Never Drunk] talent from the simulator, Lucas could drink as much as he liked without worry.
"Good drinking!" Venti chuckled and quickly polished off his own glass. "In that case, I won't hold back."
"Seems like you can hold your liquor," Lucas smirked. "And since the drinks are free tonight, how about we have a little competition?"
"A competition?" Venti asked, intrigued.
"Of course, a drinking contest," Lucas said, thinking back to his earlier run-in with the doorman Lawrence. "Whoever gets drunk first loses."
"That's not very fair," Venti said, pretending to be serious. "Barbara's already passed out. If you fall too, I won't be able to carry both of you home."
"Don't worry. Worst case, we can sleep here," Lucas taunted. "Unless… you're afraid of losing?"
"I'll have you know," Venti raised one finger, "I can drink this much."
"One bottle?"
"No, I can drink continuously."
"Well, then," Lucas grabbed a bottle of firewater, smiling, "Let's not waste time with glasses. Let's drink straight from the bottle."
"Now that's the spirit!" Venti grinned, clearly enjoying Lucas's style of drinking. "Don't worry, I won't let you lose too badly."
Admittedly, Venti could hold his alcohol—after all, even with his powers weakened, he was still a god. His physique couldn't be compared to that of a human.
To date, the only one who had ever outdrunk Venti was the Geo Archon himself.
It looked like tonight, they would both have a worthy opponent to drink against!
Even though Barbatos frequently made cameo appearances in Lucas's simulator adventures, he was never a central character. As a result, the real-life Venti didn't retain much memory from the simulator.
Venti's interest in Lucas tonight wasn't because of any past encounter but rather for a simpler reason: he was just looking for a chance to drink for free in the VIP section.
In Mondstadt, a city rich in drinking culture, "drinking contests" weren't unusual. They were both a form of entertainment and a way for patrons to prove their drinking prowess.
Venti was no stranger to drinking challenges. Most people assumed that with his small, slender frame, he would get drunk after just a few sips.
Little did they know, Venti's body seemed like a bottomless pit. While he could easily enter a "tipsy" state after just a little alcohol, it was nearly impossible to get him fully drunk.
But tonight, Venti, who was usually hard to intoxicate, met his match in Lucas—someone who simply couldn't get drunk.
This drinking contest was unlike any other.
While most people used glasses, Lucas and Venti drank straight from the bottle. Instead of pairing their drinks with appetizers, they were essentially using alcohol as the appetizer for more alcohol.
Charles, the bartender at Angel's Share, watched the scene with a heart full of sorrow. So many bottles of expensive, fine wine were being downed without any appreciation. He wasn't concerned about the cost—after all, for Master Diluc, the owner, the cost was negligible. What pained him was seeing these precious wines being "wasted."
Before anyone realized it, Lucas and Venti had been drinking well into the night.
"Drink... drink... keep drinking..." Venti slurred, his eyes half-closed, clearly tipsy but still conscious. "Lucas, why are there... three of you now?"
Despite his red face and wobbly stance, Venti's drunken state was rather adorable.
"You're drunk," Lucas chuckled. "It's time to admit defeat."
"Drunk? Me? N-no way!" Venti shook his head in denial. "I can still... drink... more..." But before he could finish his sentence, Venti collapsed onto the table, much like Barbara had earlier.
From a distance, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief. Noticing Lucas looking his way, he quickly approached and asked, "Sir, would you like me to arrange a room for you to rest?"
"Yes, please," Lucas replied with a smile. "Do you have any rooms available?"
"Of course," Charles nodded. "For our VIP guests, we offer complimentary rooms. Please follow me."
Charles led them to two rooms. Lucas gently laid Barbara down in one and then helped Venti into the other.
"Truly a gentleman," Charles thought, admiring Lucas's respectful actions.
However, soon after, strange sounds began to emerge from the room where Lucas and Venti were.
"Alright, first, take off the clothes."
"Hmm..."
"Don't move. Stay in that pose."
"Ugh..."
Hearing these odd snippets of conversation, Charles's face darkened with confusion.
"What are young people even doing these days?" he muttered to himself.
---
Inside the room, Lucas wasn't doing anything inappropriate. In fact, he was simply having some fun with Venti.
Holding a kamera (a magical camera), Lucas snapped several pictures of Venti, who was now dressed in a very cute maid outfit. Half-asleep and still somewhat drunk, Venti could only passively go along with Lucas's commands, posing in various embarrassing positions.
With a snap of Lucas's fingers, the maid outfit on Venti magically transformed into a nurse's outfit.
That's right. Venti was currently wearing the [Nano Combat Suit (Youth Version)], an item Lucas had acquired as a reward. This special suit could change its form based on Lucas's whims—even when worn by someone else.
After a while, Lucas had accumulated a collection of interesting photos, featuring the semi-conscious Venti dressed in various costumes, striking ridiculous poses.
Lucas wasn't doing this because he had some strange hobby or kink. It was more of a playful revenge for the mischief Venti had caused him in the simulator.
These photos could serve as leverage, in case Lucas ever needed Venti's help in the future.
And if that didn't work, well... selling these as a photo album might fetch a good price.
After all, Venti had lost their drinking bet, so these photos weren't exactly a violation of his privacy—they were merely part of the wager.
Before leaving, Lucas thoughtfully arranged a few of the more "provocative" photos in a pattern on the bed next to the sleeping Venti, spelling out the words "Bet Forfeit."
Satisfied with his handiwork, Lucas left the room, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. Finally, after all the times Venti had pranked him in the simulator, Lucas had managed to get back at him.
"That was so satisfying!" Lucas muttered under his breath, unconsciously clenching his fists in triumph.
Unfortunately, Charles happened to overhear this remark. His expression became even more perplexed.
"Sir," Charles said cautiously, clearly trying to keep his thoughts to himself, "your bard friend seems to be sleeping quite soundly. We'll make sure not to disturb him."
"Thank you," Lucas replied with a polite smile. "I appreciate your discretion."
"Rest assured, we are very discreet when it comes to our VIP guests," Charles nodded. "Your preferences will remain confidential."
Lucas didn't dwell on the bartender's choice of words and instead made his way into Barbara's room.
The young girl was fast asleep, completely unaware of the chaos that had unfolded outside. Taking advantage of the quiet moment, Lucas decided it was the perfect time to review the reward he had recently earned from the simulator.
[S-Class Reward: Gnosis - Anemo]
[Effect: Increases control over the wind element by three tiers (can exceed S-class).]
So, this was the true power of Barbatos's Gnosis?
To put it simply, even among those blessed with Visions, not everyone had equal mastery over the elements.
Some could summon blazing infernos, while others could barely muster a flicker of flame. Some could create raging tornadoes, while others couldn't even rival a fan.
For humans, elemental power always had its limits. After all, a Vision was both a tool for channeling elemental power and a device to limit it.
In other words, the Vision acted like a "valve." No matter how strong the wielder was, if the valve only allowed for a certain level of power, they could only output that amount.
It's like you and a top student both scoring 100 on an exam—your ability maxes out at 100, while the top student is limited only because 100 is the highest possible score.
To put it another way, if Lucas has A-grade wind elemental power, no matter how much he trains, he could at most reach the S-grade. However, with the Anemo Archon's Gnosis, he could break through to the "SSS" level.
The funny thing is… Lucas currently has no way to use wind elemental power, making this reward somewhat of a useless skill at the moment.
Moreover, whether it's through random rewards or loot box draws, the rewards are completely unpredictable. Gaining wind elemental power would depend purely on luck.
Of course, there's another method—using Virtue Points to exchange for an Anemo Vision. But the cost is 10,000 points, which Lucas is far from achieving right now.
Still, Lucas isn't too concerned. As long as he takes his time, he'll eventually obtain it.
---
[Ice Element Control (A-Grade)]
Type: Talent
Effect: Allows the user to control ice elements.
---
Author's Note: Charles thought bro smashed venti...